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Saturday, August 6, 2011

The Perfect Gift Guide

This is a sponsored post. Writing it got me on a plane home from Blogopolis. A plane I almost missed.

I am obsessed with finding The Perfect Gift. I am really easy to buy for, give me something shiny and I'll love you forever, and since I always get such amazing gifts I strive to give back at the same level.

There are three elements to consider when purchasing The Perfect Gift:

1) It has to be thoughtful - just grabbing anything because it's the day before the birthday or Christmas Eve doesn't cut it. You need to prepare in advance. Start thinking about Christmas now.

2) It has to be useful/wanted - don't buy something that you want them to use but that they would hate, especially if you're only doing it so that they'll let you use it. This includes all domestic appliances, anything BBQ related, and car cleaning equipment. This is of course null and void if they have specifically asked for it.

3) It has to be cheap - wait, that's not what you expected was it? Well this is, after all, my guide to The Perfect Gift, and we all know I'm cheap. If it makes you feel better, say "value for money" and be snooty.

For your convenience I've created an awesome Venn Diagram that will help you understand The Perfect Gift guidelines:

You're welcome.

Now there is one thing that I have come across that sits smack, bang in the middle, in Holy Grail territory... a gift subscription from Mag Shop!

For the past four years Map Guy has been the recipient of a Wheels Magazine subscription because he is a bogan rev head... but I could find a mag to suit every member of my family.

And because they keep getting a present weekly or monthly, it makes you look really good. Just think about it, you've had a bit of a tiff with your hubby and then the next day his copy of Inside Sport arrives and voila! all is forgiven.

Are you a magazine fiend? Do you subscribe or head to the shops each month to grab your mags?

29 comments:

I worked for 6 years for a major media house - which equaled free mags GALORE! I seriously couldn't keep up with all my reading! Now having left the fold a few months back it pains me to have to pay for something I was so used to getting for free. That being said I took advantage of our affiliation with Magshop to rustle up a couple of subscriptions before I resigned, so am still getting a little of my mag fix. And agree, they are perfect gift ideas - they just keep giving :) !

I love magazines! My main ones I am subscribed to are InStyle and Marie Claire. When I'm shopping I will usually grab a womans weekly if it looks interesting. I just love getting inspired and keeping up with whats out there!

I Subscribe, coz I'm too lazy to go to the shop, even tho I have to go to PO to pick them up, + i like getting mail. I subscribe to way too many mags but love it: Mother & baby, Practical Parenting, My Child, MasterChef, Good Taste (won that one) Women's Health, Shop Til you drop. Holy crap, when I put it like that I'm a little obsessed! Oh and Better Homes & garden. Sheez I better stop thinking about it now. - Shh dont tell hubby...

You totally rock the Venn Diagram! Agreed, they make a great present, the gift that keeps on giving! Am just about to go organise subscription for my BIL's birthday (I'd go get it from Mag Shop but it's an OS publication). Me, I'm too cheap to buy magaizines, I just pick the longest queue at the supermarket and catch up on goss while I wait!

Preaching to the converted here - am very partial to magazines. Went off them for a while, but they're back on my love list now. I love the beautiful pictures and clever designs a lot of them have. Loved them most when I could borrow them from the library for free. I didn't care that they were out of date by then - free is free!

I love a good mag subscription!My SIL bought me a Good Food sub last year for my birthday & it's like a birthday present in my mail box every month! It's coming to the end in October and I'm going to miss it terribly :(

What a fabulously written post - you really made me laugh and the diagram was the super-ace cherry on top - well done! I'll certainly be considering a mag subscription now.

PS: love love your blog. One thing to hear about your ace media kit at blogopolis (I must get myself in line for a glowjob!) but checking out your website, I love your writing and find it helpful as I'm a new aunt. Lady, you glow. xx

I used to work at a hairdressing salon that subscribed to every single magazine you can think of so that our clients would have up to date reading material. Every lunch break I would sit in my little beauty room and devour the gossip!

I have given subscriptions. My dad is really hard to buy for. He loves fishing, but his kind of fishing rods and reels and in the thousands and I'm not rich (or stupid) enough to spend that much money on stuff for a boat. So I got him a subscription to one of the fishing magazines so he can drool over the expensive rods every month and I don't have to buy them!